Holy crap, that time calculator is depressing! I am thinking about getting a can for my 308, so I entered that the ATF cashed my (hypothetical) form 4 check today - it said I have a 68% chance of getting my stamp February NEXT YEAR.

Having been through this process 15 times, I still have to take the time to remember that we are fortunate to have the freedom to purchase these items. It helps with the wait time and makes the end result more rewarding. Think of how many people in the world can't even own a gun and we get to get the really cool ones!

Philosophically, I do try to count my blessings. It certainly could be worse (and is, in most parts of the world.)

At the same time, I feel triply violated.
0) Having to ask permission in the first place, when its a "nunya" issue.
1) Made worse by having to ask permission when (in mine and most cases) the decision will be yes.
2) Having to wait for an extended period of time for the yes, because the bureaucracy can't get its act together.

Esteves is right: We should count our blessings, but we should also bemoan the inconvenience to have to bear the burden of the things we are guaranteed by our Constitution. I visited The UK two years ago for a family visit. I brought a couple of magazines with me for the over and back flights. No problems going over, but when we went through security at Heathrow, they confiscated a copy of Handloader magazine I had with me. When I balked, the guy called his manager and he and another not-too-pleasant-looking guy come over. The manager explained to me that carrying such a magazine onto the airplane "...could cause the other passengers to get nervous." "It's only a magazine with pictures of guns", I said, "It can't shoot or threatened anyone...it's only a magazine." They were not convinced nor were they amused and confiscated it. Jeesh...a magazine. So, yes, we should thank God, we live in a nation that isn't filled with chicken-shit, lily-livered, fear-filled whiners.

srt-4_jon wrote:apparently the nfa branch got a bunch of helpers in. hopefully they will help move things along faster.

Can only hope. I sent a form 1 and several form 4s in last month, and none of them have entered the system. The oldest had the check cashed on April 2. Six weeks and still hasn't entered the ATF's system. I don't expect the tax stamps now until December or January.

jmz5 wrote:That is depressing, makes the next stamp even harder to decide on.

You just have to make a quick decision if you want the item before June 2013. I am waiting on a 5.56 suppressor to come in so I can send out the form 4. I was in my local gun store today, and they told me the tax stamp for one person just came in...13 months after he sent everything to the ATF. :furious:

I am thinking of moving out of my area, and if I do that I will have some issues with the ATF since the applications will not be approved yet by the time I move. What a mess.

I just received my stamp on the 23 May 2012 for a Gemtech SFN-57 silencer that went pending on Nov 8, 2011 which is only 6.5 months. My last silencer was just under 6 months in April 2012. I was told by the receptionist at the NFA that they have been under a hiring freeze since 2004 and that with the increased volume it takes longer.

dharri21 wrote:I just received my stamp on the 23 May 2012 for a Gemtech SFN-57 silencer that went pending on Nov 8, 2011 which is only 6.5 months. My last silencer was just under 6 months in April 2012. I was told by the receptionist at the NFA that they have been under a hiring freeze since 2004 and that with the increased volume it takes longer.

It has been two months since ATF cashed my check on my first item, and it still hasn't gone pending. ATF said to wait a few more weeks, and then I can ask them to start looking into what happened to my paperwork. That means the seven months it is taking won't start until June so I am looking at January or later if they can't find my paperwork.

ATF supposedly hired 10 contract assistants to help out to speed things up, but it may take some time for them to get up to speed.

I would say a trust is probably the way to go even if you don't have wife and kids. In some cases, it is the only way to go if your police chief won't sign off on the form. Just make sure you have some trustworthy people you can add as a trustee though you can even set up a trust with only you as a trustee, if you want.

Crawfish80 wrote:Ok reading all of this it sure sounds like the ATF is backlogged. :wall:

Anyone from Texas have the NFA gun trust set up? Just looking into it and was wondering what people thought about it.

Good/Bad? Lots of paperwork?

I see a couple of class III dealers offer services for a couple hundred bucks.

Any feedback would be good. Just looking at expanding my collection, would be nice to get a PS90 SBR with a suppressor. Along with a couple other new weapons.

Not from Texas, but make sure you read through the trust if you get one off the internet or from a dealer. Most of them have been taken straight off Quicken which is good for 90% of the basic trusts, but firearms trusts are a little different because you there are things that can disqualify someone from being a trustee that you need to put into the trust. What happens if one of your trustees get convicted of a felony or domestic violence? That person can't possess a firearm now so your trust needs to deal with it in all the proper legal terms. There are some other issues that the Quicken trusts have as well so I would recommend a lawyer who has done this before. I am not just saying this as an attorney who does write them up, but as someone who wants you to make sure the trust is written properly because if it isn't you are facing a) 10 years/$250k fine, b) ATF requiring immediate removal of NFA firearms if they approve tax stamp and then decide trust isn't valid on a subsequent form you send them, and c) ATF requiring you to get a proper trust set up if trust isn't proper the first time. I haven't heard of a) happening because of a bad trust, but don't take the chance. B and C have happened in some cases. ATF tells person on a subsequent application that trust is invalid so that all previously approved NFA with that trust are now canceled so items have to be taken from their possession until another trust is created, and ATF issues a tax stamp for that. That means another $5 or $200 fee plus a six month wait.

Don't risk it.

Trusts take a short time to set up, and then usually only need updates when you add/remove a trustee with amendments which you can often do yourself.